To End a War
by GhostStone
Summary: Oneshot. Stoick may not listen to Hiccup, but there is one person he does listen to on occasion. And that one person just happens to be someone who will listen to Hiccup. An AU where the night before he is meant to kill the dragon, Hiccup realized how awful his plan is and goes to Gobber for help.


As he was considering his options for the next day, Hiccup was suddenly hit by a wave of panic. His plan had no way of working. His father never listened—especially when it came to dragons. And he never listened to Hiccup at all. In fact, there was only one person that Stoick the Vast ever truly did listen too. That was Gobber. And Gobber was the one person that Hiccup actually trusted to listen to him, even if the massive Viking had all the conversational grace of a hungry Gronckle. As that thought struck him, Hiccup turned back to the forge, his heart pounding against his ribs, noting in relief that Gobber was still working—not having yet finished for the evening.

Gobber saw Hiccup and smiled. "Hiccup, lad. Is there anything more you need before tomorrow? All your weapons sharp?" Swallowing to try and ease the tightness in his throat, Hiccup stared at the man he had apprenticed under for the majority of his life and tried to find the words that might save him and everyone else in Berk. Gobber's smile slipped as he observed his apprentice "Hiccup, are you all right?"

Hiccup swayed on his feet, panic filling him as he searched for something—anything—to say. Gobber was at his side in an instant, setting down the armor he was working on despite the fact that he would have to start from the beginning again. Hiccup tried to answer, but felt that if he opened his mouth to speak he might just vomit. Gobber gripped his shoulder and guided him to a bench, swiping the clutter occupying it to the floor. It landed with a harsh clatter, causing Hiccup to flinch.

"Is this about facing the dragon tomorrow?" Gobber asked worriedly in a gentle voice. "Because you've been doing just great in training. You have nothing to worry about."

Hiccup tried to take a deep breath, but he could only manage a sharp, panicked inhale. His heartbeat sounded like drums in his ears. "It's…it's about the dragon tomorrow, but…it's not what you think." He blurted in a rush. "I don't know what to do." Gobber stared at him uncomprehendingly, and Hiccup fought to gain control over his voice. Forcing himself to speak slowly, he tried again. "My father never listens. Even when I try to talk to him he just talks over me or ignores me. He wouldn't understand. As soon as he saw… I wouldn't even get a chance."

"You're making no sense." Gobber said quietly, concern in his eyes as Hiccup hadn't seen it since he was little. "Now what wouldn't you father understand that has to do with killing the dragon tomorrow, but also doesn't?" Hiccup didn't know what to say and was almost lightheaded from his shallow breathing. Gobber sighed and slung his arm around Hiccup's shoulders, holding him close to his side. "Breathe with me, lad. Take a minute and try to relax. It can't be as bad as you are making it seem."

"It is." Hiccup whispered. "But I don't know what else to do. My father listens to you more than he does anyone else, and I thought maybe if…"

Gobber was looking at him as if trying to figure him out. "Have you done something illegal?" He asked slowly but as if he couldn't really imagine Hiccup doing anything too horrible.

Hiccup flinched. "Not really?" He answered unsurely. If only because no one expected it possible to get close enough to a dragon to be anything other than mortal enemies. "But my father wouldn't see it that way."

There was a long moment of silence before Gobber spoke again. "Whatever is going on has you terrified." He said softly. "You can't even catch your breath, and you look like a startled rabbit. Whatever it is you've done, Hiccup…" Gobber considered his words another minute. "Tell me. Did you hurt another Viking?" Hiccup shook his head immediately. "Bring danger to the Village?" Another headshake, though it was likely the other Vikings wouldn't see it that way. Toothless was harmless. He was trying tosave the village, not destroy it. Gobber breathed a sigh of relief and Hiccup wondered just what he had made the blacksmith think he might have possibly done. "Alright. Then I'll make you a deal. You tell me what is going on, and I won't tell your father without your permission."

"Promise?" Hiccup's voice came out a lot smaller than he intended it to, and he saw Gobber's eyes go even softer, no doubt remembering the helpless child Hiccup had been not too long ago.

"I promise."

Hiccup tried to take a breath again before eying the man beside him, judging the weight of the promise. Gobber might decide not to keep it if he thought Hiccup was endangering Berk, but it was better than anything else he was likely to get. "It…I think I'd have to show you." Hiccup stood before he lost his nerve and left with Gobber beside him. They entered the forest, Gobber thankfully not questioning why they were heading into the trees as the sun set, and Hiccup shivered. Everything rested on this moment. Gobber followed in silence, though his eyes watched Hiccup almost constantly. Hiccup suddenly stopped.

"I don't know how to explain." Hiccup glanced toward where he knew Toothless was waiting out of sight. He had briefly seen a flash of green eyes in the brush. Hopefully Toothless would stay hidden until he could explain. "I…I did shoot down that Night Fury during the raid. I went to find him later—to try and gain status in the village." Hiccup paused. "I found him." Gobber's eyes were wide, and he looked over Hiccup as if suddenly looking for horrible wounds that didn't exist. "I couldn't kill him." Hiccup couldn't bring himself up to look at Gobber. "His eyes—I could see he was intelligent. And…he looked so terrified—so alone."

"You saw yourself." Gobber breathed in a moment of insight.

Hiccup nodded sharply. "I couldn't bring myself to kill him. I cut him free." Gobber inhaled sharply, but Hiccup rushed on ahead. "He pinned me against a rock, but then he let me go too. I don't know why I came back, but I did. His tailfin was injured—he couldn't fly without it and was trapped."

"All those questions about Night Furies." Gobber mused.

"He's my friend now. They aren't the monsters we think they are." Hiccup blurted. "Everything I have managed in training has been by things I've learned by being with him. Have you ever seen me even raise a weapon in training?" The realization struck Gobber sharply. Hiccup had seen enormous success, but he had never actually attacked the dragons. "They aren't monsters, Gobber, and I won't kill that dragon tomorrow." Hiccup finally took a breath and watched the blacksmith apprehensively.

"I can't say I believe you, but you're right on one thing. I don't know how you've managed what you have in training without using weapons." His eyes suddenly went wide as he considered why he had been brought out into the forest. "Hiccup, you brought me out here to—"

"I want you to meet him." Hiccup confirmed with a nod. "Even if you can't believe my story on my word, it's hard to fake a friendly dragon."

Gobber was silent for a long few moments before he seemed to gather his courage. "Alright. Let's go see this dragon of yours."

Hiccup turned towards where he knew Toothless was still waiting. "Toothless!" He called quietly into the darkening forest. "You can come out now, bud." Gobber stumbled backwards, reaching for a weapon as the black dragon slipped noiselessly through the brush into view. At the sight of the hand-axe that Gobber pulled out, Toothless went rigid, his ears going flat against his head and his teeth bared with an angry hiss. "Woah." Hiccup said, heart pounding as he stepped between them. "He's a friend." Hiccup tried to sooth Toothless first. The dragon made no movement to stand down, but the brief eye contact let Hiccup know that Toothless would wait to see what Gobber would do before attacking. Hiccup turned back to Gobber, ignoring the man's shout to not turn his back on the dragon. "I told you he was friendly." Hiccup said. "But if you try and hurt him, you can't expect him not to defend himself. Please, drop the axe." Gobber's fingers tightened. "Please. Trust me?"

At the clearly plaintive note in the boy's voice and given that the dragon had yet to attack Hiccup, Gobber considered his options for a few long seconds before trusting Hiccup and reluctantly tossed the axe aside. Almost at once the dragon relaxed, ears coming forward and teeth slipping up into its gums, though Gobber could still see it was ready to fight at any moment. Hiccup turned to the dragon and looked up at it. He held out his hand and the dragon immediately pressed its nose into his palm, making an almost purring sound as Hiccup scratched his nails over the scales behind its ears, demonstrating to Gobber the bond that they shared.

"They aren't monsters." Hiccup repeated, stopping his scratching of the Night Fury to look up at Gobber. "I've seen the nest." Gobber inhaled sharply. "There is a dragon there—their queen. She is several times bigger than even our house." Hiccup petted Toothless absently again as he recalled the trip and how Toothless had been called in against his will. "She is controlling them and forcing them to bring her food. That's why they raid us. There was a Gronckle there that didn't bring enough food. She ate it instead. They don't have any choice."

Gobber nodded slowly, and Hiccup was optimistic since the man had yet to run yelling for the village. "And it's not just your Night Fury that you can tame?" He asked, clearly trying his best to understand, though his eyes still didn't leave the dragon who was watching him just as intently.

"I wouldn't call him tame." Hiccup said. Toothless had settled back on his haunches, having determined that there was presently no threat despite his vigilance. "But yeah." Hiccup was finally beginning to feel a little better. His breathing was settled, and he didn't feel as much like he was going to throw up or pass out. "Astrid knows." He admitted. "She followed me and saw Toothless. But she agrees with me now. She was with when we saw the Nest. She can verify everything I've said." Gobber took a few steps forward, causing Toothless to stand warily again. He glanced at Hiccup. "You can touch him." Hiccup said. "He won't bite you."

Hiccup placed his hand on Toothless' neck to reassure him as Gobber took the last few steps to end standing right before the dragon. Hiccup had never really seen Gobber frightened before; the blacksmith had always been someone he looked up to—even aspired to be like. But he could see now the tremors in the man's remaining flesh hand as he raised it up in front of Toothless. He was trusting entirely in Hiccup's word that he wouldn't get his hand bitten off—an even more devastating wound to Gobber since he was already missing one hand. Losing the other would surely end his usefulness as a blacksmith.

Toothless huffed out a puff of warm air and Gobber flinched, but then the dragon glanced back at Hiccup's pleading look and pressed his nose into the man's hand. Gobber didn't seem to dare move, but after a few moments when nothing happened, he tentatively ran his fingers over the dragon's scales and looked into Toothless' eyes curiously.

"How do you get him to listen to you?"

"He only listens to me because he wants to. I can't force him to if that's what you are asking." Hiccup looked at his friend. Toothless gazed back unblinkingly. "I think he understands a lot more of what I say than I think. I'm pretty sure he didn't understand anything at first, but I talk to him a lot, and I think he has at least a bit of understanding of our speech now. At least, he understands when I ask him to do certain things."

Gobber pulled his hand away and took a few steps back, putting space between himself and Toothless. He suddenly saw the ruined tailfin. "You said before that he couldn't fly, but if you found the nest…"

"I made a prosthetic for him." Hiccup said a little guiltily as he had been the one to cause Toothless to need it in the first place. "I also made a saddle for him, and I can control the fin and force it into several different positions so we can fly." Gobber looked a bit stunned. They stared at each other for a few moments before Gobber sighed. "I don't really know what we can do." He finally said.

Hiccup had almost relaxed, but Gobber's words forced a wave of panic to swell again in him. "He listens to you." Hiccup said. "He'll believe you. I won't kill that dragon tomorrow. I'll run away before I do."

"Let's not be hasty." Gobber said with a frown, holding up his hand. "I didn't say I wouldn't try to help you. If you're right—and I believe that now after seeing you with him—I can't not do anything." He sighed. "You're right in that Stoick doesn't listen. We'll have to show him, but you can't use your Night Fury to do that. The moment he saw him everything would be lost. We need something less dangerous to start. One of the dragons in the arena? Do you think any of them would work?"

Hiccup considered it. "I don't know. I can try. I wouldn't trust the Terror right away. They are friendly enough, but unpredictable and mischievous. I scared the Zippleback back into the cage, and knocked the Nadder out so I don't know how they would respond to me. The Gronckle would probably be our best bet."

"We'll start with that, then." Gobber looked at Toothless again and shook his head. "Only you could get us into this mess, Hiccup." He said with a snort, finding a little humor in the situation. "Well if we are going to do this then we'd better get back then. The dragon better be downright friendly if we hope to convince your father of anything."

As they started to walk back towards the village, Toothless followed on Hiccup's heels, but Hiccup turned and paused. "I need you to stay here, bud. You can't come into the village. I…I'll come see you tomorrow no matter what, okay?" Hiccup took a deep breath, and brought his hand up to scratch along the dragon's jaw. When he pulled back, Toothless nuzzled against his chest affectionately. "Go to the cove. We might need to leave fast, okay?" Toothless licked Hiccup's cheek, causing the boy to laugh and wipe the spit off his face. "Brat." Hiccup chastised. "It'll be okay." The words were more to reassure himself than Toothless, but the dragon flashed a gummy smile and disappeared into the night.

It was almost entirely dark when they finally came to the arena. The young moon just a few days into its cycle did little to cast any light on the ground. Hiccup took a deep breath as he entered the training pit, picking up a spear and shield so he could cast them away to demonstrate to the Gronckle that he meant no harm. He looked back to where Gobber was waiting by the door mechanisms and nodded.

A grating creak signaled the door was raising. The Gronckle tumbled out, looking startled and wary as well as a little bit confused. Hiccup didn't blame it. The dragons were never released at night, and it had no idea what was going on. They had probably woken it up. Its eyes fixed on Hiccup and the weapons he bore. It crept closer, its posture screaming danger and defensiveness. Hoping he was not making a horrible mistake, Hiccup tossed both the spear and shield far out of reach, not taking his eyes off the dragon as he did so.

It looked puzzled and paused for a few seconds, its eyes flicking between the abandoned weapons and the now defenseless Viking standing brazenly before it. "I'm not going to hurt you." Hiccup promised in a calm and steady voice, keeping his fear buried deeply. "I really, really need you to work with me." He said before taking a slow step forward and holding out his hand, making it extremely clear what he was doing so as not to startle the dragon. The Gronckle snorted a small puff of smoke uncertainly and withdrew, its eyes intently focused on Hiccup. Hiccup reached behind him and the Gronckle bristled. "Woah." Hiccup called, raising his arms, his left hand holding the fish that had been hanging from his belt that he had been reaching for. "No weapons. Just this." He held the fish in front of him. The change in the Gronckle's demeanor was immediate. It crept forward, eyes fixed on the fish. "Wait." Hiccup demanded, holding out his right hand. It paused, eying the hand in front of it suspiciously. Hiccup slowly eased forward until he could touch the Gronckle's nose. It flinched, but when no pain came with the touch, it relaxed a bit. Hiccup pulled his hand back after just a brief time and tossed it the fish, not trusting it enough to offer it the fish from his hand. It ate eagerly. Hiccup reached out again and this time the dragon didn't flinch as his fingers connected with the dragon's bumpy scales. Hiccup rubbed and scratched at its scaly skin, finding all the places it liked best. He laughed as a certain spot on its neck caused it to kick its leg like a dog when he rubbed it.

"There we go." Hiccup said softly as he met the dragon's eyes. There was only the smallest bit of lingering wariness. "You're rather friendly, aren't you? It took Toothless a lot longer to warm up to me, and he hadn't been held captive." Hiccup looked over to where Gobber was waiting. The blacksmith looked stunned even after everything. Hiccup walked over and grabbed the basket of fish, tossing one more to the Gronckle before a wave of courage hit him. "My dad might consider one dragon a fluke. We need more. Let the Terror out."

"Are you going to put the Gronckle away first?" The question was asked as if Hiccup were a bit mad. Hiccup shook his head, confidence growing after his success with the Gronckle.

Gobber hesitated before opening the cage of the Terrible Terror. It leapt out immediately, clearly already having been woken up. Hiccup immediately gained its attention with a small fish. He remembered the Terrors in the cove and had to wonder just how lonely this one was. They liked to travel in groups, he had learned, and you rarely saw just one. Hiccup knelt, offering the fish out. The Gronckle tried to steal it from him, but Hiccup pushed its nose away. The Gronckle gave a displeased snort, but obeyed. He wished he could have grabbed some of the grass that dragons loved so much. The Terror approached cautiously, but it seemed more curious than anything. The Gronckle was good-naturedly alternating between sniffing at Hiccup's clothes and mouthing at his hair. When the Terror came close, Hiccup tossed it the fish and grabbed another. This time he coaxed the Terror onto his lap before feeding it the fish, running his fingers down the dragon's spine and causing it to arch like a cat. Hiccup grinned and repeated the motion a few times. The little dragon was purring contentedly, eyes half closed with pleasure. Hiccup looked back over to Gobber again, and this time the Viking had an amused expression on and looked as if nothing else would ever surprise him again.

"Should we try the Zippleback?" Hiccup called over.

"Might as well." Gobber called back, a bit of humor in his voice. "You seem to be making quite a few friends." The gate to the Zippleback's cage opened, but the dragon didn't come out. Hiccup stood, transferring the Terror to his shoulder as he did so. He approached and felt a wave of guilt strike him as he saw why the dragon had yet to leave its cage. It had been over a week since he had forced the Zippleback back into the pen, but it stayed near the back, eyeing the rotting eel carcass near the door fearfully despite clearly wanting out of the too small cage. Hiccup reached for the disgusting eel, causing the Terror to shriek in fright and take off, its talons scratching Hiccup as it took to the air. He tossed the offending eel away, grimacing a bit at the small and slime, and the Zippleback was immediately in front of him. However, rather than attacking, it looked extremely grateful, which only caused Hiccup to feel even more guilty. It looked as if the poor creature hadn't even dared to approach its food. He grabbed two of the fresher fish from the pile and offered one to each head. They snapped them up greedily before picking through the pile of fish and eating ravenously. When it had finished, it followed him out of the cage and began chattering rapidly at the other two dragons. They responded, and Hiccup paused in surprise at the clear proof that they were conversing. One of the heads of the Zippleback turned to glance at him. Without prompting from Hiccup, Gobber opened the last two cages and the Deadly Nadder and Monstrous Nightmare came out, though both already seemed somewhat appeased by the other dragons' acceptance of him. The Nightmare approached, and Hiccup reached out cautiously. With a snort, the dragon let him touch it without any hesitation, seemingly curious. The Nadder watched him unblinkingly, seeming to bear no malice, but at the same time never coming within five feet of him despite his coaxing and offers of fresh fish.

Hiccup spent the next few hours familiarizing himself with the dragons and attempting to befriend them at least a little before he painstakingly coaxed them back into their respective cages. The Terror was especially unwilling to leave, and its plaintive chirps made Hiccup hesitate. The little dragon was rather affectionate, and he was loathe to abandon it so quickly after getting it to trust him. He convinced the Terror to join the Gronckle instead so it wouldn't be alone, and it reluctantly obeyed, flying over to curl up against the Gronckle's side. Hiccup had to wonder how long each of the dragons had been a prisoner here. The poor Nadder seemed especially disturbed by its time in captivity. As Gobber secured the cages, Hiccup walked over to the blacksmith, fighting a yawn despite the excitement of the night.

"You should go home and rest." Gobber said, his hand coming to rest on Hiccup's shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "In a few short hours it will be morning, and I think we should do this at dawn while everyone is still asleep and not out in the village. An audience won't help anything." Hiccup gave a nervous nod. "Don't worry too much, Hiccup. I'll help you get your dad to see reason."

Hiccup suddenly launched himself at the blacksmith, wrapping his arms around the man's waist and giving him as tight a hug as he could manage. Gobber chuckled and patted Hiccup's back. "Thank you." Hiccup said earnestly. "I was starting to think my best option was running away. He has to listen to you."

"Nah, lad. It'll be you that convinces him. It's hard to say no when the proof is right there in front of you. Go to bed, Hiccup. Tomorrow won't be any easier if you are falling asleep." As they walked towards Hiccup's house, Gobber spoke. "I'll come in the morning and convince Stoick to come down to the arena. We'll see how it goes from there. I'll have your back no matter what." Hiccup's eyes went wide at the implication. Gobber was the best friend Stoick had, and yet he was telling Hiccup that if the worst came to pass, he would defend him no matter what the chief said or did.

It was with a heart beating far too quickly and a mouth that felt rather too dry that Hiccup crawled nervously into bed. He didn't expect to be able to sleep at all, but before he knew it he was waking up, the first light of dawn shining into his room. Hiccup was used to waking up early to work at the forge. He got dressed and walked out. Stoick looked up at him and smiled.

"Have some breakfast, son." He said cheerily. "Today is a big day."

Hiccup grabbed a plate despite feeling rather nauseous. 'You have no idea,' Hiccup thought in response to his father's comment. Hiccup forced himself to eat a few bites before a knock on their door chased any remaining hunger far away. Gobber let himself in. Stoick stood.

"What is it?"

"Nothing is wrong." Gobber said, waving his hand. "Have you finished eating?" Stoick glanced down at his empty plate. "Hiccup and I have something to show you." Hiccup was glad that Stoick didn't ask what as he followed Gobber outside. Hiccup thought he was going to lose his breakfast. If his father didn't take this well, Hiccup could be cast out, branded a traitor and banished forever. Gobber gave him a sympathetic look as he read the apprehension on his apprentice's face.

"Why are we here?" Stoick asked as they neared the empty arena. He was frowning in confusion. Hiccup swallowed nervously.

Gobber glanced at Hiccup to see if he wanted to explain, but Hiccup shook his head immediately. "It's hard to believe." Gobber said. "I can hardly believe it myself, but Hiccup proved it to me last night, and I don't really have any more doubts."

"Spit it out." Stoick said.

"There isn't an easy way to put it." Gobber explained. "Simply put, we were completely wrong about dragons."

Stoick stared before laughing as if Gobber had told a great joke. He stopped however when Gobber simply stared at him seriously and Hiccup looked ready to bolt. "Dragons are our enemy." He said flatly.

"They don't have to be." Hiccup insisted. The expression his father turned on him, caused him to quail.

Gobber frowned at his friend and ruffled Hiccup's hair reassuringly. "I didn't think it possible at first either." He looked at Hiccup. "But he can prove it to you." Giving Gobber a nod, he anxiously walked into the pit, the door shutting with a clang behind him. "Which one?" Gobber asked, going to the mechanism to open the gates.

Glancing back, Hiccup saw that his father looked rather alarmed. The stronger the statement made, the better. Hiccup made up his mind. "All of them." He said resolutely.

As Gobber started to haul on the machine to open the cages, Stoick lunged at his friend. "What do you think you are doing!" He shouted, trying to stop him. "They'll kill him!"

"Trust us." Gobber insisted, shaking off the chief's hand and finishing. The gates rose, and the dragons all were on alert. They left the cages.

Stoick was holding onto the bars of the door, unable to get them open without the keys from Gobber despite his best efforts. Hiccup glanced back to see his father's pale face. "Hiccup!" Stoick yelled, fear coloring his voice. "Look out!"

Hiccup turned just in time to be barreled over by the Gronckle. His father was yelling and rattling at the bars, but the dragon hadn't meant any harm—even if Stoick didn't see that. "I'm glad you decided we are still friends." He laughed before shoving it aside and getting to his feet.

"I'm fine!" He called out to them. "He just got a little excited." For the reputation they had, the Gronckle was really a friendly beast. Hiccup was rather certain he wasn't very bright, but he had a rather happy-go-lucky personality to him that made Hiccup smile. "They aren't just vicious beasts!" He called back, smiling now that he was in his element. He suddenly realized that the Nadder was behind him and drew in a deep breath, turning. The Nadder was the one dragon he wasn't sure about. It hadn't approached him the night before at all though it hadn't seemed unfriendly either. But his worries were alieved when it merely sniffed at him before retreating again. Hiccup had an idea suddenly and went to pick up a spear. All but the Gronckle went stiff in apprehension—the Gronckle simply looked curious—but Hiccup placed the head under his boot and snapped it off so that he was left with a stick. He waved it in front of him before tossing it to the other side of the arena.

The ensuing game of fetch was one of the most terrifying moments of Hiccup's life. He hadn't been expecting the level of competitiveness the dragon's showed, and they did not restrain from using their fire or teeth to get the stick before the others. Hiccup was actually rather shocked they hadn't burnt it to a crisp yet. The Nadder was especially vicious, though like all the others, it seemed to realize Hiccup was more fragile than a dragon and took care not to hurt him. It even allowed him to touch it finally after returning the stick, and Hiccup smiled at the trusting look in its eyes. He could almost have forgotten this was a show for his father, when there was a shout from above, and an early riser of Berk—likely drawn by the commotion—found them. Hiccup, wanting to avoid a spectacle as much as he could, ushered the disappointed dragons back into their cages.

This time the Terror seemed even more unwilling, and Hiccup felt even more awful shutting it away. Taking a deep breath, and ignoring the gathering crowd, Hiccup walked out of the pit. He was suddenly pulled with a bruising grip toward his father and felt a wave of fear fill him as he gathered the demonstration had not gone well, but as he raised his eyes he realized that his father was deathly pale. Hiccup was pulled into a crushing hug.

"They could have killed you." Stoick said harshly, suddenly pushing Hiccup away, but keeping the grip on his shoulders. Hiccup would be bruised. Stoick's eyes were wild. Hiccup was only grateful that where they were standing no one could see them. This conversation needed to be private.

"I needed you to see." Hiccup said, hearing the pleading in his own voice. "Dad, please, you have to believe me. Dragon's aren't what we thought. The raids aren't their fault. They are being controlled. We could have peace. They aren't monsters."

"Tell that to Valka!" Stoick shouted, stunning Hiccup into an alarmed silence even as he released his grip. Hiccup saw that his father's hands were clenched into fists. Gobber looked concerned and startled, but didn't step in. The words remained loud in the following silence. Hiccup and his father stared at each other. Stoick almost never talked about Hiccup's mother. Stoick was breathing heavily, but looked a bit regretful at frightening Hiccup. "I'll never forget the Stormcutter than took her." He said more softly now. "I was afraid that it had taken you as well—or that you might die. You were just a baby, but you were crying and bleeding in your crib. I only arrived just in time, but I wasn't in time to save her as well. It took her."

Hiccup stared at his father. That was the most that Stoick had ever spoken about his mother at once. All the arguments Hiccup had come up with fled as he struggled to comprehend the turn the conversation had taken. His hand automatically went to the small scar he still had from the close encounter with the dragon that had killed his mother. He couldn't make himself hold all dragons accountable though. They were at war, and it was possible the dragon had identified Stock as the chief and dealt the worst blow against him that it possibly could.

Stoick sighed suddenly. "You're like her." He said. "You always have been, but now more than ever. She always insisted that we needed to find a way to end the war. She had no proof, but she was convinced that dragons were more than we believed them to be."

His heart pounding with hope, Hiccup glanced back at the pit. "They are." He took a deep breath, preparing himself. "And I know how to end the war—stop the raids." Stoick's eyes, wet with tears for his lost wife, fixed on Hiccup. "There is a huge dragon—their queen—controlling them from the nest. The only reason they raid us is to steal food for her so she won't eat them instead. If we could find a way to kill her…" Hiccup met his father's eyes solidly. "They have no loyalty to her other than what she forces them to have. If we kill her, the dragons are free and the war will end. They prefer fish to meat anyway, and can catch enough to feed themselves without raiding us."

"You know where the nest is."

Hiccup nodded. "During the last raid. I did shoot down a Night Fury. But I couldn't bring myself to kill him, and everything I've learned I have learned from him." Stoick was mouthing the words 'Night Fury' in disbelief. "I've seen the nest, and so has Astrid. You can only get there with a dragon. We need to kill the queen."

Gobber suddenly stepped forward. "I've seen his Night Fury too—last night. The creature adores him. He calls it Toothless." Hiccup grinned a little embarrassedly at Gobber. Gobber grinned back. "So what do you say we make one last trip to find the nest?"

Still looking a little wild about the eyes, Stoick looked back at the gates containing the dragons for a long moment before looking back down at his son's guardedly hopeful expression. "I don't like them." Stock said finally. Hiccup flinched, heart sinking. "But if you think this can end the war…" Stoick met Hiccup's eyes. "We have lost too many people fighting the dragons. Whether I like it or not, if we can end the bloodshed, then we have to do it."

Hiccup beamed and hugged his father, thanking him repeatedly before giving Gobber the same treatment. The blacksmith looked just as surprised as Hiccup at the outcome of their attempt to win Stoick over, but hugged Hiccup back for a few moments. "Your mother would be proud." Gobber said softly. Hiccup glanced at his father, only to see Stoick nod in agreement.

"We'll need to plan." Hiccup said immediately, his brain taking off as he considered what would need to be done before they could attempt to kill the queen. "If we only have these five dragons and Toothless it will be dangerous. We'll have to find people who can ride them, and that won't be easy. I can start making saddles." Hiccup was out of breath, giddy with relief and still hardly believing that his father had listened. "If there are any raids before we can go…" Hiccup swallowed knowing raids meant dead Vikings and dead dragons. He couldn't and wouldn't ask the Vikings not to fight for their survival. "Capturing more dragons should be a priority." Hiccup looked up at his father once more and saw something there, that he had always striven to see, but never had—pride for his son. Stoick clapped Hiccup on the shoulder, causing him to stumble forward, but beam upwards anyway.

"You'll make a fine chief, one day." Stoick said, his voice tight with emotion. "A fine chief."

Later in the day, still grinning with pride and elation, Hiccup recounted the day's events to Toothless, chattering happily at the dragon who listened intently with his head tilted, whether or not he actually understood any of what Hiccup was telling him. It wouldn't be easy, and the harder part was still ahead, but Hiccup felt hope swelling inside of him, as the end to the war against the dragons was in sight. Turning to lean against Toothless' side, Hiccup watched the sunset and smiled at several Terrible Terrors dipping and diving after each other as they played in the fading light.

 **AN: I'm undecided still whether I want to make this more than a one-shot or not. It doesn't feel like it needs more, but I might decide to write more to it sometime. Thank you for taking the time to read!**


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